Dual Credit Teacher Spotlight: Melinda Lawrie, Brownsburg High School

Meet Melinda Lawrie, an experienced educator who has been teaching at Brownsburg High School for over two decades. As a passionate English teacher, Melinda collaborates with Ivy Tech Community College to offer dual credit courses that give students a unique opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school. 

In this Q&A, Lawrie shares her insights on teaching Ivy Tech’s dual credit English Composition and Rhetoric and Argument courses, her approach to balancing college-level material with high school expectations, and the rewards of seeing her students grow. Read on to learn more about Melinda’s journey and the impact of Ivy Tech’s dual credit program on students' college readiness.

Can you tell us a little about your background, including what you teach and how long you’ve been at Brownsburg High School?  

I earned my bachelor's in education at IUPUI in 2004 and my master's in English there in 2013. I currently teach dual-credit English Composition 111 and Rhetoric and Argument 215, as well as Speech, at Brownsburg High School. This is my 21st year teaching at BHS.

How did you get involved in teaching dual credit courses, and how has the program evolved since you started? 

I always knew I wanted to teach a college writing class, so I earned my master's degree in 2013 partially for this reason. Since I've started teaching dual credit, the rigor has increased along with the class sizes. My class sizes this year are the largest they've ever been, at 30 students per class.

How do you see dual credit courses impacting students’ college readiness? 

Specifically English Composition and Rhetoric and Argument help prepare students for college writing, which they will do in their major fields of study. Many of my former students have told me that they frequently use many of the organizational processes and prewriting processes I teach them.

How do you balance the challenge of teaching college-level material to high school students while ensuring they succeed? 

Providing them with a lot of at-bats (ungraded, low-stakes practice opportunities) to master the skills before they write and submit a major composition for a heavily weighted grade.

What advice would you give to students and their families who are considering dual credit courses? 

This is not a college-prep course; it is a college course. The expectations and grading reflect that. Students do not automatically earn an A as they apparently do in several high school English classes.

What’s the most rewarding part of being a dual credit teacher? 

Challenging students who have never been challenged before allows me to witness so much growth in my students' writing from year to year.